It is typical for a company in the agricultural seed industry to generate one or more research plots in order to evaluate certain seed varieties. Such seed varieties may include, but need not be limited to, seeds from a specific source, genotype, population, and/or breeding line. In such a manner, researchers may evaluate characteristics of the plants growing in the research plot, as well as characteristics of any crops produced from the plants. In some instances these characteristics may be compared to plants grown from different seed varieties in the research plot. Thus, certain experiments may require a researcher to plant many different seed varieties in the research plot at approximately the same time. Additionally, a researcher may desire to plant various seed varieties in relatively close proximity to other seed varieties.
Traditional research plot planting is a largely manual process. Conventional techniques involve packaging seed samples in seed packets, which are manually opened at the desired planting locations in order to deposit the seed samples into one or more row planters for planting research plots. In many instances this is accomplished by using a mobile planter transport device, such as a tractor, that transports a research seed planting device configured to carry one or more seed planting operators.
However, in the event of a mechanical malfunction or planting error, for example when an operator drops a seed packet at an incorrect location in the research plot or into an incorrect row planter, the seed currently within the seed planting device may need to be removed before planting can begin again. Present methods of removing the seed from the planting device direct the seed from each row planter to a seed discard hopper where the seed is combined with all of the varieties of seeds from each of the row planters. Evacuation of discard seed to the seed discard hopper in this manner typically occurs after the seed meter from a respective row planter becomes full and hence the additional seed is discarded.
Directing seed to the seed discard hopper as described above does not isolate the seed from each row planter which would be advantageous to reuse the seed in the event of a mechanical problem or planting error. Accordingly, in order to salvage and reuse the seed from each of the row planters, seed removal has instead, in at least some instances, involved manually removing the seed tube from the top of each seed unit to make it possible to vacuum out a range quantity of seed from the trap door of each row planter. Further, access to an additional range quantity of seed retained in a second area of each row planter required additional measures. In this regard, removing the additional range quantity of seed has, at least in some instances, involved manually cycling the discard hopper and gathering the seed off of the metering plate, which may be difficult to access due to tight dimensional constraints. Accordingly, known methods of retrieving seed may involve significant quantities of time and labor.